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Hope your week's off to a good start. Thanks to our Mark Wimer for
rounding up these stories today.

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Let's jump to it.

J

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Thanks for stopping by, Terrell Owens. It was interesting, to say the
least, but now it's time to go.

As talented and tough a player as Owens is, the bottom line is that
the Eagles were a very good team before acquiring him and they will be
a very good team when he is gone. As long as Donovan McNabb is the
quarterback here, the Eagles will have a chance to win a Super Bowl.

Maybe that's what really drives Owens crazy. Maybe that's the pea
under the stack of mattresses his ultra-sensitive ego rests upon.
Clearly, Owens is consumed by jealousy over McNabb's stature, McNabb's
talent and - most of all - McNabb's wealth.

It was bad when Owens took a minor potshot at the quarterback to
further his own misguided play for a new contract. The comment about
"the guy who got tired in the Super Bowl" was unfair and stupid, but
likely would have faded with time.

Not this.

Although Owens wasn't quoted directly in Stephen A. Smith's column in
yesterday's Inquirer, the star receiver's acrimonious feelings about
the franchise quarterback came through loud and clear. So when Smith
conveys Owens' opinion that McNabb is a "company man" who is
"unwittingly exploited" by Andy Reid and the Eagles, you just know
that's what the receiver has said.

Does he believe it? Maybe. Is he willing to say it merely to further
his own selfish aims? Absolutely.

Reid simply can't let this slide. He has built this organization a
certain way, with certain kinds of people, and he took a chance by
making an exception for Owens. A year ago, I was all for that move. I
even wrote in this very space that, if Owens was able to control
himself for just one season, it would be worth it.

That holds true. Last season was special. It was worth it. But Owens
has crossed a very important line here, the one between mere
distraction and locker-room cancer. He has forced Reid to do more than
simply ignore this mess.

You can live with a distraction. You have to remove a cancer. As soon
as possible.

Maybe this seems melodramatic, an overreaction to a couple of comments
about McNabb. But this is about much more than that. It's about Owens
cruelly taking aim at spots where he perceives McNabb to be especially
vulnerable.

There are questions about the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl, so
Owens throws a dart right at that bull's-eye.

There are people who whine about Reid and the Eagles "sheltering"
the
quarterback, so Owens exploits that perception by suggesting McNabb is
the coach's puppet.

And why is Owens doing this? For money. That's it, money. What kind of
teammate - what kind of man? - humiliates a perfectly decent person
like this? And make no mistake, Owens is deliberately painting McNabb
as a sellout.

.If Reid is as concerned with team chemistry as he says he is, the
coach will make sure this is Owens' last mistake as an Eagle.

[[[[[[[[[[ OUR VIEW ]]]]]]]]]]

The furor continues to grow in Philadelphia over Terrell Owens'
off-season behavior. He promised coach Reid not to become a
distraction when he signed the contract last year - that promise has
obviously been broken. Now, the ball is in the court of Philadelphia's
management. What action they will take, if any, remains to be seen -
however, the situation continues to get more nasty as each day passes.

When the Ravens begin their first offseason minicamp today, one player
absent from the huddle will be Jamal Lewis.

But that doesn't mean the former All-Pro running back has been out of
the Ravens' tight-knit circle.

Team officials have kept close contact with Lewis throughout his
four-month prison sentence in Pensacola, Fla., which included a recent
visit by owner Steve Bisciotti.

Lewis entered Federal Prison Camp on Feb. 4 after pleading guilty to
using a cell phone more than four years ago to arrange a drug deal.

All of the reports have been positive, according to Ravens coach Brian Billick.

Lewis is progressing on schedule from ankle surgery and weighs about
240 pounds, which is great shape for a player who has been known to
balloon in the offseason.

"This sounds terrible, but he's in a great, regimented environment,"
Billick said. "There's not a lot else for him to do but to stay
focused."

After Lewis finishes the remaining weeks of his prison term, he will
spend two months in a halfway house and perform 500 hours of community
service.

Indications have been made to team officials that Lewis could serve
his house arrest in Baltimore.

"I'm comfortable with his rehab, but I think it would be great to have
him up here in this environment," Billick said. "I'm not particularly
concerned about the time he would miss in [June] minicamps, but I
think it would be great for him to be up here around his teammates."

If Lewis is at the Ravens' training complex in June, Billick said he's
unsure how much the running back would participate in those minicamps.

"The next hurdle for him is to get the conditioning level up because
it's been so focused on the rehab," Billick said.

Asked if the ankle could hinder Lewis for training camp in August,
Billick said, "I don't think that's an issue."

[[[[[[[[[[ OUR VIEW ]]]]]]]]]]

It seems weird for someone to indicate a prison term is good for a
"great, regimented environment" - but then again, it's tough to put
a
positive spin on your star RB spending the off-season in prison for a
felony conviction. It appears that Lewis will be ready for training
camp despite his forced absence from team facilities and trainers.

Last season, the Ravens averaged only 144.2 passing yards per contest
as running back Jamal Lewis, tight end Todd Heap and tackle Jonathan
Ogden missed a combined 18 games.

Heap will not be available for these practices as he recently
underwent shoulder surgery that's expected to keep him out for at
least a portion of, if not the majority of, training camp.

Boller improved somewhat during his second season, going 9-7, as he
completed 55.6 percent of his passes for 2,559 yards, 13 touchdowns
and 11 interceptions. He finished as the second-lowest rated passer in
the AFC.

The Ravens will work on routes, timing, throws and learning the
terminology of new offensive coordinator Jim Fassel, holding practices
for 1 hour, 15 minutes each day through Thursday.

[[[[[[[[[[ OUR VIEW ]]]]]]]]]]

The article highlights the frustrations of the Ravens regarding their
passing game during the last two years, and their best hopes for
improving in 2005 (Mason and Clayton). However, given Boller's
uninspiring past performances, we aren't too excited about his fantasy
prospects for 2005 (he's 23rd on our expert rankings board
for QBs).

It's called metabolic running, but some of the Titans probably call
the exhausting conditioning drill something else.

''Absolutely it's something guys dread,'' receiver Drew Bennett said.
''But like it or not, everybody knows it's something you've got to do
to get ready for the season.''

The Titans veterans and rookies will be on the field for the first
time together tomorrow for the first of six organized team activities
scheduled for this month. In June, they'll practice six more times
together before returning for training camp in late July.

But for the veterans, it certainly won't be their first time on the
field. They've spent the past seven weeks building up their
cardiovascular base, working in a number of different exercises
ranging from tug-of-wars to obstacle courses to sprints to cone
drills.

The one that will perhaps get them the most prepared for this fall,
however, is a heart-thumping drill called position specific metabolic
running. By design, it simulates game-like situations, and turns heavy
breathers into smooth operators. Well, at the least they won't be
doubling over like they did in the beginning.

But the transition doesn't happen overnight.

''It is fast and furious,'' said Titans strength and conditioning
coach Steve Watterson, a drill sergeant of sorts. ''As much as I think
it helps (get them ready for the season), I believe they do, too.''

The Titans started the metabolic program at the start of the offseason
program in late March. It will continue until July 1, the last day of
the program.

[[[[[[[[[[ OUR VIEW ]]]]]]]]]]

Teams that are in top condition have energy left for the 4th quarter
in-season. While the story doesn't give fantasy-specific information,
it does let owners know that the Titans they might draft will be in
condition come training camp/pre-season.

Lyman's injury coupled with the release of Jerome Pathon has left the
Saints relatively thin at receiver, so the club is expected to pursue
a veteran in free agency. Ironically, one of their top targets is
Az-Zahir Hakim, who was released by Detroit earlier this spring.
Saints fans will remember Hakim for his famous fumbled punt that
helped preserve the club's playoff win against the St. Louis Rams in
2001. Former Patriots receiver/defensive back Troy Brown is also a
possibility.

[[[[[[[[[[ OUR VIEW ]]]]]]]]]]

With Joe Horn and Donte Stallworth entrenched as the teams' #1 and #2
receiver, there probably won't be much fantasy potential to be found
in whichever veteran WR the team brings in - unless an injury opens up
one of the team's top 2 spots. Given how often players are hurt in the
NFL, it'll be worthwhile to know who ends up #3 in the Saints' WR
stable to start the season. This offense is one of the more
frustrating in the league, but that's partly because it has so much
potential.

According to Tennessee Titans head coach Jeff Fisher, Volek currently
is about 90-percent recovered from offseason surgery to repair a
severely separated throwing shoulder. The quarterback, who went under
the knife nearly four months ago, plans to be at full strength by the
start of training camp later this summer.

[[[[[[[[[[ OUR VIEW ]]]]]]]]]]

Good news for Titans fans as Volek was sensational at times in relief
of Steve McNair last year - he'll be a big part of what the team does
if McNair succumbs to injury again this year.

Dolphins cornerback Will Poole had reconstructive knee surgery Monday
and is expected to miss the entire 2005 season.

Poole tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during
minicamp earlier this month. The second-year pro was the leading
candidate to replace Pro Bowl cornerback Patrick Surtain, traded last
month to Kansas City.

[[[[[[[[[[ OUR VIEW ]]]]]]]]]]

This is no surprise, we've expected this news since his injury.
However, it's now a medical fact that Poole has had reconstructive
surgery. We'll see him in 2006, if his rehabilitation goes as planned.

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That'll do it for today, Folks. Remember that the Early Bird Discount
closes after May 20. Check out www.footballguys.com
for the details on
signing up. Have a great Tuesday and we'll see you tomorrow with the
update.